The Brother presented by Filmacres Independent, LLC at Stage 773

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...More than a spy saga, this is really a story of intrafamilial bickering. The play slips out of gear in the latter portions, when it switches the emphasis to the Rosenbergs' execution -- a theatrical misstep that turns a grim reality into an exercise for melodramatic pyrotechnics, complete with thundering opera to underscore each zap."

SouthtownStar - Highly Recommended

"...With double agents, cloak-and-dagger suspense and national secrets at stake, "The Brother," in a world premiere at the Theater Building in Chicago, plays out like a gripping spy thriller."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...John Hancock and Dorothy Tristan’s adaptation hits all the right buttons in its account of cause célèbre martyrdom, painting us a portrait of an almost-preternaturally simple man, moved by a primitive concept of what would later be called “balance of power,” but content to let others do the heavy thinking—in particular, the know-it-all Julius, whose embrace of “spy game” glamour made him an easy target for the hostile attentions of a government infected with cold-war paranoia."

Chicago Free Press - Somewhat Recommended

"...More journalism than theater, this world premiere “spy thriller” by director John Hancock plays like an illustrated lecture. Full of flashbacks based on interviews between Roberts and a skulking, evasive and occasionally regretful Greenglass, it’s never less interesting than the story itself but, alas, seldom more so. What we get is a family feud that took on national notoriety. Purity is impossible here but there’s a kind of residual nobility in Ethel Rosenberg’s final hours."

Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"... The script’s lack of revelation is tempered by some fine acting, particularly by Serino and Tournis as the Rosenbergs; surprisingly, it’s Breuler who disappoints, mush-mouthed and affectedly smug, doing little to humanize the man he portrays."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...This is a tight production that unfolds smoothly while clearly presenting a unique perspective on American history. It is worth seeing. Robert Brueler is terrific as David Greenglass."